Storage container



Aug. 10, 1943. J. F. THoMPsoN 2,326,414

STORAGE CONTAINER Filed Jan. l2, 1940 Z5 IllIl-IIIIIIIIL.

cfs/M65 E 77/0MP50. ,A

Sfr To liv/E m Patented Aug. 1o, 1943 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICESTORAGE CONTAINER James F. Thompson, St. Louis, Mo.

Application January 12, 1940, Serial No. 313,508

(Cl. 22o-4) 1 Claim.

' The present invention relates to storage containers, and particularlyto containers for storing food and the like in refrigerators.

Objects of the invention are to provide a series of containers that maybe attached together in superposed relationship in any desired number,with unions for joining them which desirably indicate the date of thematerial within the particular container, and which unions havepartitions therein that close off the interior of Ithe container belowthe union from the container above the union.

Other objects are to provide containers that may be joined either with'or without unions.

In, the drawing: A l

Fig. 1 shows a plurality of container units, a cap and a union;

Fig. 2 shows a composite container consisting of three units, two unionsand a cap;

Fig. 3 is a sectional view of a composite container;

Fig. 4 shows how the containers may be joined together without theunions;

Fig. 5 shows the containers of Fig. 4 joined Withaunion;

Fig. 6 shows containers without bottoms joined together without a Iunionto make a single larger container;

Fig. 7 shows the containers of Fig. 6 joined with a union forming twoseparate units; and,

Fig. 8 is a modied type.

Referring to Figs. 1-4, inclusive, a container unit IU, which in thiscase is cylindrical, has a threaded portion II at the top and a threaded4portion I2 at the bottom. The container has a bottom I3. A second unitI4 has a threaded pornon es at its top, a threaded portion I6 at its4bottom, and a bottom I1.

A union generally indicated at I8 is circular and has a completepartition I9 medially thereacross. On opposite sides of the partition I9the union is internally threaded as at 20 and 2|. i

The union has a date indication 22 thereon.

There is also provided a cap 25 internally threaded as at .26, andhaving a handle 21 on the top thereof.

In use, the food or the like is placed in one container, such as I0. Ifthere is only one portion of food, the cap 251s then engaged over Ithethreads II (and herein threads are representative of all quick-actingattaching means), which seals the container, and the same may beconveniently disposed in the refrigerator, the operation beingfacilitated by the handle 21.

When Ithere are additional portions, as on subsequent dates, a union I8is engaged over the lower threads I2 of the unit I0. An additionalcontainer I4 then has its upper threads I5 engaged into the lowerthreads 2| of the union. The union is selected to have a date indicationfor the food within the lower container. It will be seen that; thepartition wall I9 forms a cover for the unit I4 and protects thecontents from any dirt that may have been picked up on the bottom I3 ofthe upper unit I0.

In like manner, additional units may be added below the unit I4, Fig. 3showing a. union .in place just prior to the addition of such additionalunit, and Fig. 2 showing the unit in place.

In the type of Fig. 4, thetwo container units are shown at 30 and 34.The unit 30 has lower threads 32 engageable by internal upper threads 35on the container unit 34. The two may thus be connected directlytogether. There is, for reasons of its manifest desirability, a union 38having a complete partition 39, and having internal threads 40engageable with the threads 32, and external threads 4| engageable withthe threads 35, as shown in Fig. 5. In this way, the units may be usedeither with or without the union, which may be desirable when severalcontainers are filled the same day.

In the type of Fig. 6, the units 50 and 54 are not provided withbottoms, they being tubular..

The lower edge of the unit 50 is threaded, both internally andexternally, at 5I and 52. The lower unit 54 has upper external threads55 engageable within the threads 52 of the unit 5l). W-hen two units arethus joined, as in Fig. 6, a single larger container results. But if, asin Fig. '1.y a union 58 -be used, with its partition 59, the two tubularunits are divided o. The unit 58 has upper internal threads 60engageable with the external threads 5I on the lower end of the 4unit50, and lower internal threads 6I engageable over the upper threads ofthe unit 54.

It is understood that the assemblies of Figs. 4-'1 may be made up of anynumber o f units, as in Figs. 1-3. and are not limited to two.

In the modiication of Fig. 8, each container unit 10 is provided with anupper ange 1I and a lower ange 12. Rubber (and hence ilexible) unions 13have partition walls 14 and upper and lower concave flanges 15 and 16that may be engaged over the flanges 1I and 12.

What is claimed is:

In a container device, a plurality of units each having an upperthreaded portion and a lower threaded portion, the lower threadedportionv having both external and internal threads thereon, the -upperthreads of each container being sized to engage with one of the threadson the lower part of each other unit whereby said .uni-ts may be joineddirectly together, and a union having a partition medially thereacrossand threads on each side of said partition, said threads beingengageable with the other, of the lower threads of one unit and` theupper threads of another unit to hold said units together, saidpartition covering the-lower unit and protecting the contents thereof.

JAMES F. THOMPSQN.

